Computing-meter.



PATENTED DEG. 31, 1907.

W. E. BOYCE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wwessea- PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907.

y W. E. BOYCE. COMPUTING METER.

- APPLICATION FILED OUT. 3, 1906.

2 SHEETS-BHEBT 2.

cents.

unrrnn sra rns arnnrorrrcn WARREN E. BOYCE, OF PIERCE CITY, MISSOURI, ASSlGNOR OF THREE-TWELFTHS TO WILLIAM F. GATEWOOD, )F PIERCE CITY, MISSOURI, AND FOUR-TWELFTHS TO ETHELBERT P. LAMPKIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COIlEPUlINGr-METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907,

Application filed October 3, 1905. Serial No. 337330.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WARREN E. BOYCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pierce City, in the county of Lawrence, State of Missouri, have invented certain. new and useful 1m )rovements in a Com uting- Meter, of which the following is a ful clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. v

My invention relates to improvements in compiiting' meters; and it consists in the novel construction of meter more fully setforth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawin s I show my invention designed particularly for an electric -meter, but it will be understoodfrom the description that it may be adapted for use on gas, Water, or other meters.

Figure 1 is a perspective of an electric meter; showing the dial for indicating the value of the current consumed in dollars and Fig. 2 is a view with the case or covering removed; part of the outer "dial broken away to show the inner dial and the escapement mechanism; Fig. 3 is a side view of the meter with the case removed; showing the meter-motor, and the arrangement of the working parts. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the small vertical shaft which engages the long horizontal shaft with the lower main dial shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail 2 of the upper shaft carrying the inner dial,

and showing the weight for operating the shaft. Fig. 6 is a detail, or top plan View of the gearing for revolving the pointerhands about the face of the main dial. Fig. 7 is a detail of the long horizontal shaft which engages the motor shaft with the short vertical shaft.

The object of my invention is to construct a meter which will compute and. indicate the value of the current consumedin dollars and cents, instead of the. technical terms of watts, kilowatts etc., which terms are not generally understood b the consumer. The meter will indicate at al times the total amount or value of the current consumed, and can be adjusted to any given price or rate for the current.

Referring to the drawings, A, A A, A represent parts of the meter frame, and B is the meter-motor fixed to a spindle to'the upcarrying a sleeve 20 and ug 21 .mounted upon the-shaft 11, and fixed to the thev members 5, 5 of the hanger C which is secured to the frame A The said shaft 4 is provided near its outer end with a wormwheel 6 which engages a ear wheel '7 fixed to the vertical shaft 8 which has its bearing at the top in the hanger C and at the bottom in the bracket D; the said shaft 8 is provided with a worm-wheel 9 which engages a ear 1.0 fitted to the lower short horizontal 11 having its bearing in the arm 12 of the bracket D; the said shaft 11 extends outward through the meter frame to a suitable distance beyond the outer dial 13 to carry the long pointer-hand 14 which registers shaft from 1 ct. to 100 cts. upon each complete rotation of the hand about the dial.

Fixed, between the outer dial and the meter frame, upon the said shaft 11 is a small pinion 15 which en a es a gear 16 carrying a pinion 17 journa cc to a stud 18 secured to the meter frame, and, as shown in Fig. (5, the said pinion 17 en ages a ear 19 loosely sleeve 20 is theshort pointer-hand 22 which registersfrom 100 cts. to $12 upon each complete revolution, or as the lon pointer-hand 1s moved once about the dial the short pointer-hand is moved the space of one twelfth registering $1 The upper short horizontal shaft 23 is mounted in a bracket E secured to the fname of the meter, and is provided near its inner end with a sheave-wheel 24 over which is suspended upon a cord a suitable Wei ht 25 and at the outer extremity of the sai shaft 23 is secured a small auxiliary dial 26 which is provided on its face with the numeral multi les of twelve, from 00 to 1.80, as shown In ig. 2, and spaced between each number is a small projecting pin 27; the said pins 27 alternately engage with an escapement 28 which regulates the movement [of the small dial 26 as revolved by the weight 25. Upon each complete revolution of the short pointerhand the escapement 28 is rocked by the lug 21. so that the small dial 26 is free to turn the space of one pin registering 12 on the inner dial which can be seen through the opening 29 in the outer dial, and on each'succeedlng move? ment of the inner dial the multiple of 12 is to the rate for the current.

shown adding 12 to the registered amount. The sum shown on the inner dial plus the amount indicated on the outer dial gives the total reading of the meter. The inner dial is shown to register up to the amount of $180, but of course it may be changed or spaced to register a higher amount if desired. And to regulate the meter to any given price rate for the current the gear 7 on the shaft 8 may be changed to a larger or smaller size according To reset the meter, 'I provide the gear 10 with a washer,

' and interposed between this washer and collar 30 is a coil sprin 31 to frictionally hold the gear 10, so that a ey may be placed upon the stem of the shaft 1 1 and the hands turned to set the meter without rotating the gear 10. Rotation to the indicatin mechanism is in proportion to the speed 0 the meter-motor which tends to vary according to the currentflow through the consum tion circuit in the meter, whereby currentow is registered in Havin described my invention what I 1. In an electric meter, the combination of an indicating mechanism actuated by a meter-motor, With an auxiliar dial mechanism operated by a suitable weig t, and an escapement regulator controlling the auxiliary mechanism, substantially as'shown and declaim an desire to secure by Letters Patent f scribed.

2; In acomputing meter, the combination with a meter frame, of a main dial indicating mechanism comprising a hanger C fixed to the meter frame; a horizontal shaft mounted in the said hanger; means for transmitting rota said orizont al shaft; afworm wheel on the said horizontal shaft to engage a gear wheel on a-vertical shaft; they-said gear wheel exchangeable and of a size regulated to the I price rate forthe current; the said vertical shaft and worm wheel thereon; the bracket fixed to the meter frame; a lower short motion from the meter shaft to the horizontal shaft and gear wheel thereon to engage with the worm on the vertical shaft;

a long pointer hand and a inion and loose gear and sleeve onthe said ower horizontal shaft; a main recording dial, and astudsecured to the meter frame; a gear and pinion on said stud to respectively on age the pinion on the horizontal shaft an t e gear on the loose sleeve, a lug on said sleeve, and a 'short pointer hand to record each complete revolution of the long pointer hand; an escapement adapted to be rocked by the said lug; and an auxiliary dial mechanism controlled by the said escapement, substantially as set forth.

3. In a com uting meter, the combination with a meter ame, a maindial secured to the meter frame, a main recording mechan ism, and an esca ement regulator; the said esca ement're u ator adapted to control an auxi iary mec anism comprising an u per short horizontal shaft mounted in a brac et;

the said bracket secured to the meter frame; 4

a sheave wheel mounted on the said horizontal shaft; a suitable weightsus ended from a cord leading over and around t c said sheave and desi ned to give rotation to the said horizontal s aft which is rovided on its outer extremity with an-auxi iary dial in inner osition to the main dial; the said dial provi ed on its outer face with the multiple numerals of the highest amount recorded b the main dial; pins s aced between the sai numerals (to engage t is escapement' regulator permitting the multiples to appear successively through the opening formed in the main dial indicating the computed value, which added .to the amount re istered by the main dial ives the total value 0 the current flow through the meter circuit, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WARREN E. BOYCE.

Witnesses:

THOS.CARL1N, G. W. SOLOMON. 

